Skulduggery

Skulduggery's feet pounded the cobbled street as he sprinted down the back alleys of London twisting and turning with expert ease. The demented pack of vampires scrambled after him baying for blood no doubt. With a quick glance behind he vaulted over a fence and crouched in a dyeing patch of magnolias. The pack ran past, vicious and frenzied. He stood up in one fluid motion, drew his sleek colt revolver from an inside pocket and drove a bullet into the leading vampires head. Four shots later the pack lay still slumped in Baker Street and the gutters ran red. Skulduggery reached into his coat and produced a once elegant but now ravaged silver pocket watch. With a murmur about being late he turned on his heel and strode into the heat of the city.

It had been a very long day. It had started most disappointingly with the unpleasant discovery of an empty cigar box. It then worsened with the Grand Mage informing him of a pack of vampires rampaging through London. It had taken him until 3:00 pm to track them own and a further hour to get round to killing them. They were only young though, with the holes in their necks that condemned them to an eternity of pain and an undying thirst for blood. His real problem was finding their master as he would be far more controlled and infinitely stronger. Still, another day perhaps.

He climbed into his private coach and lent back on the leather upholstery. He summoned a dancing spark to his gloved hand and lit a fine quality cigar, the first of a new batch. The smoke drifted gently from between the button holes of his shirt and uncovered eye sockets. It twisted and curled filling the small space and as they trundled along he pondered his destination and the potential reasoning behind his requested presence there.

Exactly 15 minuets later, according to the pocket watch, Skulduggery's coach rocked up in front of Buckingham Palace and he got out, briefly marveling at its impressiveness. He marched briskly to a plain white wall at its rear and ran his hands over its surface; he gave a small sound of satisfaction and pressed his thumbs against the brick, hard. There was a deep grumble of complaint from deep within the palace and it arduously rolled to the side revealing a small gap. Silently he slipped through and descended a small flight of stairs then moved up a winding corridor. The place was carpeted with lush red pile and upon the walls hung undoubtedly priceless portraits of every member of the royal family. He paused to admire them taking his time. He strolled on for a short while before entering a small yet lavishly decorated room. In the center draped in enough silks and velvet to clothe the whole of Cheap-side was none other than her majesty Queen Victoria. She raised her beautiful face and said, "You're late"

"Fashionably so," replied Skulduggery without hesitation

"I require your assistance" she said unreadable and clearly not prepared to yield any more information yet.

"A job, for me, well how absolutely darling of you" he said in a playful tone now creeping into his voice

"No," the queen said stiffly "not as such. It's more of a task, a challenge"

"You have me enthralled, do go on" murmured the skeleton, the playful tone giving way to suppressed excitement and thinly veiled expectancy.

"We have a problem one that you, possibly, could solve"

"Oh my dearest Vicky" all sense of mystery was now gone from the room "if you require someone" he coughed suggestively and adjusted his top hat "taken care of, I'll happily oblige"

"Good gracious no, Skulduggery not that the person in question is regrettably my little sister." She said smoothly ", and please never call me Vicky again or I shall be forced to find another skeleton adviser, a task I should not particularly like to undertake."

"A sister!" exclaimed Rune in a tone suggesting he was raising eyebrows he did not have, "you never told me about a sister"

"No and its a fact we have managed to keep many in the dark about but I worry it will be hard to do so for much longer" the queen rose and moved to the window

"Well let's meet her then, any potentially dangerous sister to the queen is a friend to me" he said leaping to his feet with surprising agility

"No, I don't believe that would be a good idea just yet..." she said turning to the empty room

Skulduggery marched down the hall to a neatly dressed steward ducking his hat as he went.

"Afternoon sir, I am her majesty's physician and I am looking for her sister" the steward peered at his shadowy skull

"Begging your pardon sir b-b-but I don't know who you're..." Skulduggery cut him off with a blank stare an impressive feat for a man with no eyes.

The terrified steward began again to stammer his objections to Skulduggery's presence in the corridor before Queen Victoria having caught up with the detective came gliding up the corridor.

"At ease William" she ordered "and Skulduggery, i know it's hard for you but try not to wander off"

"Yes ma'am" he called wandering off

Having successfully commanded Skulduggery to her side the Queen walked through her palace making turn after turn, higher and higher until they reached an attic like floor and came to a halt before a plain wooden door, unassuming and normal. From behind this the sounds of a raging argument drifted. Only one voice seemed to be involved however and it screamed and wept in equal measure locked in some anguished turmoil.

"Don't say I didn't warn you" said Victoria opening the door.